Dangerous Logic
by Rosewood17
Summary: He looked frightened and feverish all at the same time, as if she was the source of all his fears and all his answers." A tale of Victoire Weasley and Teddy Lupin. Begins with the Platform 9 and 3/4 kiss in DH. M for language and later chapters.
1. Prologue

**Hello Lovely People! This is going to be my first attempt at a multi-chapter story! It features Teddy Lupin and Victoire Weasley with a few twists. It's essentially cannon, although I added and changed a few random things to make the story in my head work. For example, I fudged their ages a little, and added some details that probably wouldn't have happened. Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy. It begins with the Platform 9 and 3/4 kiss in the epilogue of Deathly Hallows and goes on to tell the story of Victoire's senior year. I have a few more chapters written, but I'd love some feedback on the prologue for now. Thanks a lot for reading, and please let me know what you think!**

**3 Rosewood**

**Disclaimer: JKR's fabulous creations. I just play.  
**

**Prologue**

The absence of logical thought was not something she was accustomed to. She had always considered herself a rational person, and as far as she could remember, there hadn't ever been a moment in her life that had been defined by the absence of logic. This had to be a first. She couldn't think, she couldn't move, she could barely even breathe. The only awareness she had was in the contact of their lips.

She felt herself react in a way that made no sense. A tremor of something she couldn't define ran from her spine, directly to the base of her stomach. It felt as if several caged hippogriffs had suddenly been released in her chest.

His mouth was warm and hesitant, as if he couldn't decide if this was okay or not. His hands, resting awkwardly on the tops of her arms, exerted a slight pressure that seemed to convey the fact that he wasn't really sure what to do with them.

Before Tori could decide what was happening, the door to the train compartment slammed open to reveal twelve-year-old James Potter staring up at them in shock.

"Teddy, what are you doing to my cousin?" he spluttered, pointing accusingly.

They both jumped; Teddy moved away from her so quickly he practically stumbled over his own feet. His face turned a shade of red that could rival the Hogwarts Express as he ran a hand through his blue-tinted hair and turned to face James.

"I was, er, just seeing her off, James," he stammered, eyes never leaving the floor.

"But…you were _snogging_ her!" James said incredulously.

Tori stood there in shock, unable to form a coherent thought, as she glanced from James' astonishment to Teddy's clear embarrassment.

Teddy scrubbed his hand down his face in exasperation.

"James, just…just go way, alright?"

James slowly backed out of the compartment, his finger still pointed, before he came to his senses, turned, and tore down the corridor, slamming the door behind him.

Tori hazarded a glance at Teddy and could see that he was clearly uncomfortable with what had just happened.

"Victoire…Tori, I…I'm so sorry…completely out of line…don't know what came over me…" he trailed off, suddenly very interested in his trainers.

As the ability to speak returned to her, Tori tried desperately to word a response in a way that wouldn't reveal how completely unhinged she was.

"Don't worry about it," she said as nonchalantly as she could, "You know…stuff happens right? No harm done."

She could tell she sounded phony, but at this point it was the best she could muster. She couldn't think of anything else to say that wouldn't sound ridiculous and sentimental. The last thing she wanted was to reveal was how shaken she was. She had to physically stop her hands from trembling. He met her eyes and for once, in all the years they'd known each other, she couldn't read him. He appeared totally baffled.

"Tori, I know that was…well, that that shouldn't have happened. I mean, we're practically cousins, and I'm going off to Hascosay this month, and I'm four years older, and…" he trailed off, babbling.

Tori held up her hand to stop him in a last ditch effort to alleviate the mounting awkwardness.

" It's alright," she said, "I'm sure James has told everyone by now, but maybe we can just…not talk about this anymore. I…I don't want things to be weird between us."

As the words were leaving her mouth, she had to fight the instinct to bite them back. Something in her, something totally void of reason, didn't want him to walk away and pretend this had never happened. In truth, her head was spinning. She wanted to shout at him, wanted to know what in the world had just happened, and scariest of all, wanted him to kiss her again. At this point, however, forgetting this had ever happened was the only sound option. With him leaving so soon, she knew they'd never get the chance to talk about this again, not without it being intensely awkward; and he meant to much to her to let some stupid gut reaction screw it up.

Teddy exhaled in, what appeared to be, relief.

"Okay," he said wearily, "Yeah…that sounds good."

He extended his hand, "Friends?"

She forced a smile that never quite reached her eyes and shook his hand.

"Friends," she agreed.

Teddy scratched his head, as if he wasn't quite sure what was happening.

"So, um…Have a good term, Tor," he said, "I guess I'll, uh, see you around."

"Yeah, thanks," she replied, raising her hand in an awkward sort of wave.

He fumbled with the door handle.

"Well…bye," he stammered before exiting and quickly shutting the door behind him.

Tori exhaled as the door clicked shut. She glanced down at her hand that had touched his only moment ago. She still hadn't worked all this out yet, but she knew for certain now, that all of the giggling girls in her dorm had a point. Your first kiss always comes when you're not expecting it.

Little did she know that a bewildered Teddy Lupin was leaning against the door of the train compartment trying to collect himself. He knew, full well, that he had no business kissing her. He also knew that, given the chance, he'd do it again.

**A/N: So, worth continuing? Tell it to the Review Box!!  
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	2. Of Train Compartments and Silly Memories

**Hello Again! Thanks so much to those who reviewed! This chapter begins the real story and is set three years after the prologue. Tori (sorry, Victoire is just way too girly for the character I have in mind for this) is a 7th year and Teddy has long since graduated. On my time line, he's about 21 by now. He won't make an appearance again for a chapter or two, but I promise its coming, and probably where you aren't expecting it!! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy!!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, still not mine  
**

**3 Years Later**

**Of Train Compartments and Silly Memories  
**

Chapter 1

Tori glanced down at the crinkled bit of parchment in her hands and sighed. She had lost a chaser and her seeker to graduation last year, and she wasn't sure where the hell she was going to find new ones. If the same lot from last year's tryouts came out again, Gryffindor would be screwed.

Tori Weasley had been named Gryffindor Quidditch captain in her 5th year and this was the first year she was truly nervous about it. She hadn't realized how much she had counted on having reliable people on the team until they weren't there anymore. She had had to pick one new chaser her first year as captain, but the thought of having to find a new seeker was daunting. The parchment in her hand was a hap-hazard list of potential names, none of which looked especially promising.

"Damn," she thought, "If Slytherin beats us this year Roxy'll never let me live it down."

She stuffed the list in her jeans pocket and turned her attention to the green countryside that was flying beneath the window of the Hogwarts Express. It was odd to think that this was her last year on this train. The fact that she was a 7th year hadn't fully registered yet. She couldn't decide how she felt about being done with Hogwarts. A large part of her new she would miss it. In the seven years that she had been there, she had gotten very comfortable at school. She liked being surrounded by her huge, extended family. She did well in most of her subjects (with the exception of History of Magic, and let's face it, no one but Aunt Hermione did well in History of Magic) and she loved playing Quidditch.

Another part of her, though, was overwhelmingly excited about what would come after graduation. Her stomach gave an involuntary swoop at the thought of it.

As soon as she was allowed to choose some of her classes, Tori had stumbled across a love for Care of Magical Creatures. She couldn't really explain it, but something about magical species and the distinct powers they had simply fascinated her. She found herself thumbing through _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_, even when she didn't have to. She visited Hagrid during free periods and volunteered to help him with whatever creature he was keeping for classes. She was especially keen at healing magical creatures. After watching Hagrid, and on occasion, her Uncle Charlie, she discovered that it just made sense to her. Something inside of her felt distinctly drawn to the creatures she had worked with. After considering it, she couldn't see herself doing anything else after Hogwarts.

When she had talked to Professor Longbottom, the new head of Gryffindor, about her career options during O.W.L. year, he had given her a small green pamphlet explaining the Hascosay Institute of Magical Species Handling. Situated on a tiny, uninhabited island off the coast of Northern Scotland, Hascosay was the premiere post-graduate program for magical creature studies in all of Britain.

She had made up her mind that she wanted to go there last year. All of her energies this year, her final year, would be focused on getting in. The program was rigorous. They only took thirty students each term, and they only took the best. Tori knew she was good at what she loved, but she wasn't sure she was as good as she needed to be. She was taking N.E.W.T. level Advanced Care of Magical Creatures this term, and she had done a lot of study on her own. A part of her couldn't help but be nervous about applying, though. She kept running through the questions on the application in her head and wondering if she was up to par. She planned on visiting Hagrid sometime this week and seeing if he would be willing to give her extra tutoring sessions. There was so much she felt she should know before applying.

She knew people who had gone to Hascosay. Her Uncle Charlie, the dragon handler, had gone there. Teddy Lupin, who was practically her cousin, had just graduated from Hascosay in May. While Teddy wasn't truly a part of her family, he had grown up with Tori and her rowdy circle of cousins. He was her Uncle Harry's godson and spent a great deal of time with the Potter, and by extension, Weasley family.

Thinking of Teddy brought an unsolicited smile to Tori's face. As two of the oldest in their brood, they had known each other all of her life. Teddy was four years older than her and had always been a good sport about letting her tag along after him when they were little. As they'd both gotten older, they had developed an easy sort of friendship that Tori had missed since he'd gone off school. They had seen each other briefly over the summer, but Tori's family had spent a large part of the holiday visiting her Mother's family in France.

As she thought about it, Tori realized that she couldn't remember the last time she had really seen Teddy. He came home for holidays, but it seemed as if they were always so busy that they hadn't really spent any time together since he went away.

The summer she was fourteen was probably the last time she'd really seen him. He had come with their families to see them off on the Hogwarts Express that year, even though he'd already graduated. She remembered seeing him say goodbye to Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny's three children and then…Tori's face colored instantly as that particular memory came flooding back to her. Instinctively, she glanced up at the plastic number seven that marked the compartment door and almost laughed at the irony.

Teddy had offered to carry her trunk to a compartment, this compartment, for her. Tori still couldn't quite put her finger on how it had happened. One moment, Teddy was teasing her about how he was done with Hogwarts and she had to sit through three more years of Professor Binns's class, and the next, he was wiping his palms on the sides of his jumper and shifting his weight from foot to foot. She couldn't recall when, exactly, his mood shifted so drastically, but he had suddenly looked as nervous as he had on the morning of his first N.E.W.T.'s.

When he'd looked at her, she'd seen something in his eyes that she didn't recognize. He'd looked frightened and feverish all at the same time, as if she was the source of all his fears and all his answers. She couldn't understand why; she still didn't, really. Before she'd had a chance to ask him what he was thinking, he had closed the distance between them and touched his lips to hers so lightly that she barely knew it was real. To this day, the memory brought butterflies to her stomach

Analytically, she knew it was nothing more than and an innocent sort of peck. Teddy had probably regretted it as soon as it happened. He'd certainly left quick enough, listing myriad reasons why the entire situation shouldn't have happened. It hadn't made it any easier that James had burst in, and then proceeded to tell both of their families. Her cousins had teased her mercilessly for weeks. Well, that was until Dominique, who was twelve at the time, had been caught kissing a Ravenclaw Quidditch player in a broom closet, and the attention had shifted to her. Eventually it seemed that everyone had just sort of forgotten about the entire incident. It had been her first kiss and, as much as she knew she shouldn't still be thinking about it, it was something she couldn't quite let go of.

She shook her head slightly, to clear it. Logically, it didn't make sense to dwell on a moment that was better off forgotten. It should have been a brief and blurry instant in her life that she dusted off every now and then for a quick smile. While all of this made perfect sense in her head, there was simply something about that moment that she couldn't banish, though she'd never, in a thousand years, say that to Teddy.

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	3. Of Inappropriate Familial Insults

**Hi Friends! A big thanks to everybody who reviewed and for everybody who put me author review! That was really encouraging! This chapter is a little bit of cousin banter. It goes a little bit into Tori's relationship with her cousins and siblings; they play a big roll on her life. Sorry for the extremely long update time. I was in the middle of finals, so things should be coming a little faster now. Thanks for sticking with me! **

**Chapter 2:Of Inappropriate Familial Insults**

Without warning, the compartment door slid open, interrupting her reverie. She saw a small ginger head pop around the corner.

"Hey Lou," she said as her eleven year old brother made his way into the compartment, "You getting along alright?"

This was Louis's first year at Hogwarts and Tori could tell he'd been nervous for weeks.

"Yeah…I'm doing great," Louis said with a touch of false bravado, "I…I can't wait to get there."

Louis kept his eyes trained on the carpet as he scuffed his toes back and forth.

"Yeah, it's gonna be great," Tori said encouragingly, "Have you met anyone cool in your year yet?"

"Well, about that," Louis said, still not meeting her eyes, "I was wondering if I could…you know, sit in here with you for a little bit?"

"Sure," Tori said, shoving her bag over, so he had room to sit across from her, "Everything ok, Lou?"

"Yeah," Louis said unconvincingly, "It's not that I'm _scared_ to talk to people…I just don't want to say anything daft, you know? And I can't really figure out who to talk to, except for you guys."

Tori knew exactly how he felt. When she had first started Hogwarts, she had stuck close to Teddy and her cousins who were already there. It was hard to branch out when you'd grown up with as many ready-made playmates as the Weasley children.

"Oh, don't worry about that," she said with a wave of her hand, "Once we get there, and you get sorted, you'll have plenty of new mates."

This intended reassurance only seemed to worry Louis more.

"That's the other thing," he said, wringing his small hands, "What if I'm not in Gryffindor, Tori"

Tori smiled gently. So this is what Louis had been so worried about.

"So what if you're not?" she said, moving a little closer to him, "Plenty of nice people aren't in Gryffindor. Roxanne's a Slytherin, and Rosie's in Ravenclaw."

"I know," he said, exhaling, "But James and Hugo'll never quit taking the mickey out of me if I wind up in Slytherin or Hufflepuff."

Tori chuckled.

"Well, if they do," she said, looking him straight in the eye, "You let me know, and I'll make them wish they hadn't, ok?"

Louis cracked a smile for the first time

"Thanks, Tor," he said, looking slightly more relaxed.

"Anytime," Tori said, ruffling his hair, "What are sisters for?"

He smiled, and Tori noticed for the thousandth time how similar they were. Both Tori and Louis took after the Weasley half of their family. They were both strawberry blonde, though Louis had a little more strawberry than blonde. Tori had wild, red-gold curls that fell in layers to her shoulders. The only thing she had inherited directly from Delacour side of the family was her mother's crystal-clear blue eyes. Everything else, from her tall, willowy build, to the spray of freckles across her nose was pure Weasley.

She glanced up at the door just in time to see her sister and two cousins breeze into the compartment.

"Hey Lou," their cousin James said, plopping down in the seat next to Tori, "All geared up for your first year?"

"Think so," Louis responded, with far more bluster than Tori knew he felt.

"Just better hope you're not in Slytherin," Hugo teased.

Before Tori could tell him to shut it, or else she'd make him, yet another Weasley voice sounded from the door.

"You better watch who hears you say that, Hugo." the new addition intoned.

"Roxy!" Tori exclaimed, rising to her feet to hug her best friend.

Roxanne Weasley was the first of her clan to be sorted into Slytherin. While it had come as something of a shock at first, her family had slowly come to realize that "Slytherin" wasn't necessarily synonymous with "slime ball."

Roxy and Tori were the only two of the Weasley-Potter brood that would graduate this year. The two of them, though different as night and day, had been best friends since they were small.

"Don't believe everything you hear, Lou," Roxy said, sending a well-aimed smack to the back of Hugo's head, "We don't _all _eat baby giants for breakfast."

"I know," said Louis, who appeared to be gaining confidence, "Hugo's just being a wank-stain."

The entire compartment fell silent before James, Hugo, Tori, and Roxy burst into astonished laughter.

Dominique, Tori's younger and very prissy sister, gasped in shock.

"Louis!" she exclaimed with a slightly affected French accent, "Maman would die of fright if she heard you using words like that!"

Louis sputtered, clearly confused.

"Lou, do you even know what a wank-stain is?" asked Hugo.

"That's rich, coming from you," Roxy snorted, "How would you know? Your hand getting a lot of action these days?"

"Oh piss off," Hugo exclaimed, indignantly, his cheeks coloring, "Why don't you tell him if you're such an expert? We all know you've got the equipment."

Everyone but Roxy laughed. It was refreshing to see someone get one over on Roxy. She had no shortage of quick wit and sarcastic comments, and she wasn't very quiet about expressing them.

Dominique continued to look scandalized.

"Children," she huffed as she left the compartment with an indignant toss of her long silvery hair.

"Alright, alright," Tori said, stopping the impending hurricane that was building between Roxy and Hugo, "Lou, where _did_ you hear that?"

Louis, who looked more bewildered than ever, shrugged.

"I heard Uncle Charlie call Dad that one time when they were arguing. Dad punched him."

Tori stifled a smile.

"I'll tell you what, Lou. Why don't you leave wank-stain out of your vocabulary for a while and ask Dad what it means when we get home for Christmas?"

"Don't worry," James interrupted with a knowing grin, "Living in the dormitory, he'll know what it means by next week."

Tori rolled her eyes.

"Don't be an ass, James," she said, shoving him.

"It just comes naturally," James retorted rakishly.

"Yeah, remind me to tell Aunt Ginny that, the next time I see her," Tori replied.

"You think she doesn't already know?" James questioned.

Tori sent a kick in his general direction.

"Oh, I'm sure she does," she said without missing a beat, "She'd still jinx you so hard you couldn't see straight."

James grinned and settled back in his seat just as the conductor's voice filled the compartment, announcing their arrival at Hogwarts in ten minutes.

Tori stood up and reached for her trunk.

"Alright, you lot," she said to the three remaining boys, "Get out, so we can change into our robes."

James propped his feet up on Tori's now empty seat.

"Tor, I just got comfortable," he whined, "I'm not moving."

Roxy snorted; she had already pulled her Slytherin robes out of her bag. She watched James's eyes widen in horrified shock as she undid the first few buttons on her blouse as theatrically as possible.

"Well, get ready for a show then, Jamsie-boy. I'm not shy," she replied impishly.

James and the two others bolted from the compartment without so much as a backward glance.

"Cousins!" James exclaimed in disgust as he slammed the door behind him.

Tori and Roxy both laughed as they began to change into their school robes.

"So," said Roxy, her eyes dancing with a secret, "Have you heard the latest family gossip?"

"It depends on which gossip," Tori responded lightly, "There are so damn many of us, it's hard to keep up."

Roxy smiled.

"Apparently, there will be a Weasley on staff at Hogwarts this year." she said dramatically.

Tori blinked in shock. How in the hell had this happened without anyone finding out? After all, the Weasleys weren't a quiet bunch.

"What?" she asked, "There aren't even any teachers in the family."

"I dunno," Roxy shrugged, her grin growing wider, "But I heard Mum and Dad talking about Uncle Charlie teaching Care of Magical Creatures this year."

Tori's mind reeled at the possibilities. She had no idea why it was happening, but she couldn't pretend that she wasn't thrilled. Uncle Charlie had graduated from Hascosay! He would know exactly what it would take to help her get in. She had always been close to Uncle Charlie, as they had so much in common. She knew he would be ecstatic to help her live her dream.

"That's brilliant!" she exclaimed, "Maybe this will cheer him up some, after what happened."

Uncle Charlie had worked, for years, as a dragon trainer in Romania, but at the beginning of the summer, he had gotten into a confrontation with a rather nasty Hungarian Horntail and had fallen from his broom. He was alive, but the Horntail had taken a shot at his leg on the way down. As the effects of dragon-fire were irreparable, he had lost his left leg from the thigh down. He was essentially alright, but inconsolable at the thought that he wouldn't be returning to Romania anytime soon. This seemed, to Tori, to be an alternative he could actually get excited about. He had often talked about returning to Hascosay to teach once he had retired.

"I know," Roxy agreed, "I dunno what's happened to Hagrid though?"

"He's probably off gallivanting with Grawp for a term," Tori responded with a fond smile.

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	4. In Which Old Friends Return

**Hello All! Finally, we get to see some more of Teddy! Thanks so much for everything guys! Y'all rock! I really promise to do better with updates, I realize that I'm taking way too long!**

**Disclaimer: Alas, I own nothing**

**In Which Old Friends Return in Unexpected Places**

Before long, the train came to a stop and the two girls filed out and queued up to wait for a carriage to take them up to the gates. Tori waved to Louis, who was nervously waiting for the boats, and climbed into a Thestral-drawn carriage after Roxy.

The ride to school and the sorting (Louis had heaved an enormous sigh of relief at being named a Gryffindor) passed quickly, and just as the last of Tori's treacle tart was fading, Professor McGonagall rose to give her start-of-term speech.

"Welcome to all," she began, her usually stern face showing the slightest hint of a smile, "Again we find ourselves at the start of a new term. As I'm sure you've noticed, there have been some changes to our staff."

Tori had noticed as soon as she came in, that Hagrid was indeed missing. She was delighted to see that Roxy had been correct. A beaming Uncle Charlie had winked at her from the staff table when she first entered the Hall.

"Professor Hagrid," McGonagall announced, her smile growing more pronounced, "Is currently celebrating his recent nuptials. He and Madame Maxime of Beauxbatons were wed several weeks ago, and he is currently residing with her, in France."

There was a general murmur of surprise and happiness from the students.

"As a result," McGonagall continued, raising her hands for quiet, "I am very pleased to introduce our new Care of Magical Creature teacher, Professor Weasley."

An astonished whisper ran the length of the Gryffindor table as numerous Weasleys and Potters, who had been initially surprised to see Uncle Charlie, now wondered aloud as to how their parents had managed to keep this quiet.

Uncle Charlie stood awkwardly, most of his weight on a wooden crutch tucked under his left arm. His smile, however, showed that he was genuinely glad to be there.

"Hello all," he said with a wave of his hand, "I'm looking forward to seeing you in class."

The hall applauded approvingly as he reclaimed his seat. Tori found herself growing even more excited about the school year. As much as she would miss Hagrid, she was really looking forward to class with Uncle Charlie.

"Now," Professor McGonagall continued, "Unfortunately, Professor Weasley has recently suffered an injury and as such, we've hired a sort of teacher's assistant for him, to help him with the more physical aspects of his position."

She motioned to the far end of the staff table, barely visible to most of the hall, where a tall, lanky young man rose to his feet.

"I'm sure some of you remember Ted Lupin, Professor Lupin, now, from his time at Hogwarts," said McGonagall, "He has recently graduated from Hascosay Institute for Magical Species Handling and has returned to Hogwarts to assist Professor Weasley."

Tori felt her heart give an involuntary lurch. How had she not known about this? It seemed utterly impossible that her entire family had managed to keep both of these secrets all summer. She made a mental note to ask Mum about all this at Christmas.

She couldn't believe that Teddy was back at Hogwarts, or that he would help teach the class she would be spending the most time in. She felt a small bubble of happiness well up in her chest at the prospect of getting to spend time with him again. She checked her reaction, though. As happy as she was, her inclination to reason dictated that she not reveal too much, especially because this situation was sure to change the dynamic of her and Teddy's friendship. They would be student and teacher instead of childhood friends, and _that_ was something she wasn't quite ready to think about. While she knew she'd have to be more formal with him now, she couldn't imagine him being anything other than her Teddy.

She watched him as he extended his arm in a greeting to the Great Hall. He looked extremely happy as he examined the room. She allowed herself a small smile when his gaze alighted on the Gryffindor table. For a brief moment, their eyes connected as he was able to pick her out of the crowd. She couldn't help but grin when his, always honest, face lit at the sight of her. Even from across the Great Hall, Tori felt decided warmth as they acknowledged one another.

For reasons beyond her, Teddy held her eyes for a beat longer than he should have. While his smile never faltered, she noted the briefest change in his eyes. For a disconcerting second, the look he gave her brought swift memories of that all too memorable kiss on the Hogwarts Express. It hit her so hard that she had to force herself to hold her calm. While it was no more or less intense than it had been all those years ago, some innate part of her understood it better than she had at fourteen. It was want, pure and simple, and it only served to confuse her more about how she felt about Teddy's sudden presence at Hogwarts. The realization made her flush.

Before she was able to truly grasp it, he looked away, breaking the moment and making her wonder if she had only imagined it. She shook her head and inwardly scolded herself for being nonsensical. She must not have seen anything. In fact, Teddy was so far away from her that it was probably nothing more than a trick of the light. No doubt, Teddy had forgotten all about that mistake of a kiss, and she knew she should too. It was even more imperative now that he would be her professor.

She realized, at the end of this internal rant, that she had completely missed the last of Professor McGonagall's speech. As she stood to follow the rest of the Gryffindors to bed, she allowed herself one last glance at Teddy's end of the staff table.

She was satisfied to see that Teddy, Professor Lupin that is, was deep in conversation with Professor Flitwick. He seemed not to notice her at all.

"Good," she thought, managing, well enough, to convince herself that it should be that way.

She turned away quickly, too quickly, in fact, to see Teddy's eyes follow her over tiny Professor Flitwick's shoulder.

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	5. Of Affirmed Career Choices

**Wow a timely update, unbelievable, I know! I was pretty excited myself. this next chapter is short on dialogue because I wanted to give you guys a little bit of insight into what Teddy was thinking. Thanks again for the faithful reviews, you guys pretty much make my day! **

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately not mine. If it was, I could pay off school...**

**Of Affirmed Career Choices**

Teddy Lupin sighed contentedly as he flopped, face-first onto the large four-poster bed in his new quarters. He was truly excited to be back at Hogwarts. He had to admit, he hadn't been entirely sure about it at first. When Charlie and Professor McGonagall, Minerva, as she now asked him to call her, had approached him a little over a month ago, he wasn't entirely sure what to think. He'd never had teaching ambitions.

His specialty at Hascosay had been hippogriffs. He had always figured that he'd graduate and then find some sort of hippogriff research center to throw himself into. He'd been a little surprised when he's first found out that he was a prime candidate for an assistant professor at Hogwarts. He had initially planned on turning it down. Once he had considered it, however, the option was looking better and better.

Hogwarts paid well enough, and the food was bloody brilliant. It was a ready-made job that wouldn't involve endless weeks of searching, applications, and interviews. It was also close to his grandmother, which Teddy had to admit was a factor in his decision. After his parents had been killed in the war, his grandmother had raised him. The two were very close, as they were all the blood-family either had left. While Teddy knew that Gran was more than capable of taking care of herself, he knew she would be lonely without him. If he was perfectly honest with himself, he would miss her too, if he were too far away.

Yes, the more he thought about it, the happier he was with his decision. He rolled over, and propped himself up on an elbow to further examine his new surroundings. Since Hagrid's hut, and all the accompanying furniture, were decidedly too large for either Charlie or himself, Professor McGonagall had elected to give them both ground floor offices just off the Entrance Hall. Each office was connected to a private bedroom and bathroom.

Teddy lay back against the sumptuous pillows and tucked his hands behind his head as he glanced around his small but comfortable bedroom. The majority of the room was commanded by the large mahogany bed. A small dresser of the same dark polished wood stood against one wall. Above it was a small window that was thrown open to catch the late summer breeze coming across the lake. There was a closet door, a bathroom door, and a small writing table on the opposite wall. The entire room was decorated in simple, masculine, navy blue and silver. Teddy liked it immediately. He wasn't one for fuss or lots of objects that had no purpose. The room suited him well; it was simple, comfortable, and functional.

He supposed that he should probably go back out to his office and review the materials for his first day of classes tomorrow. Charlie had told him earlier that the first day wouldn't be too strenuous. He figured they would most likely review a little and perhaps cover class rules and expectations.

He knew, also, that Charlie would be doing the majority of the teaching. When McGonagall had hired him, she explained that he would be there to handle the more hands-on aspects of the job. He was expected to be knowledgeable about the day's lesson and to help the students interact with the creature if Charlie wasn't up to it. He was also responsible for the physical parts of the creature care. McGonagall had given him Hagrid's feeding and care schedule that morning. It was a lot to handle, but nothing that Hascosay hadn't prepared him for.

All in all, Teddy could honestly say that he was one hundred percent happy with his decision. He was even looking forward to interacting with the students. The older students in the more advanced classes, especially, wouldn't be terribly different from some of his classmates at Hascosay. He was especially excited that he would have some of his fictive cousins in classes. While Teddy was in no way actually related to the Weasley-Potter clan, he had grown up with them. Harry, his godfather, had always gone out of his way to make sure that Teddy felt just as included and loved as his own children did. He loved having them as a family, and he had missed them all since he had gone off to school. He didn't have as much time to spend with them as he would have liked.

He wondered which period Tori would be in. She was taking the most advanced N.E.W.T. level class and he was especially looking forward to seeing her more often. Of all of his "cousins," she was certainly his favorite. They had been friends for as long as he could remember, probably longer. He knew that Tori thought that he had just put up with her when they were younger, but the truth of it was that he had enjoyed it as much as she had. Tori wasn't like the rest of his female cousins. She had loved to play with him. Most of the Weasley children that were close to his age were girls and had been far too busy with dolls to play pretend Quidditch or look at bugs with him.

It still brought a smile to his face when he remembered Tori as a little girl. She was game for anything. With dirty knees and wild curly hair she would follow him anywhere and he had loved her for it. He had lost track of the number of times that the two of them come home with some new creature in a jar and torn trousers. He remembered missing her desperately when he first went off to Hogwarts and she had to stay behind.

By the time she came to Hogwarts, he was a fourth year and while he had enjoyed showing her around, the two of them just weren't quite as close as they had been once. After all, the difference between eleven and fourteen had felt astounding. By his final year at Hogwarts things were back to normal. Tori had grown up a little, and the feistiness she had inherited from her mother ensured that she could more than keep up with Teddy and his rowdy crowd of friends.

The two had spent much of that summer together as well. It was decidedly different than when they were children, but still, they spent most of their time together. They would spend hours talking through Teddy's advanced Care of Magical Creatures books, and once or twice they had even snuck out to the nearby village to see a muggle film. It was that summer, he recalled, that Tori really started to look different to him. It didn't happen all the time, but every now and then, Tori started to look more like a girl and less like his childhood friend. He realized that that was irrational; Tori had always been a girl, but apparently that was the first time he ever gave it any real thought.

He couldn't pin point it exactly, but if had definitely been that summer. Even though he had definitely moved beyond it, he had to admit that he'd developed a little bit of a crush on her that summer. Of course, that was ridiculous; she was four years younger than him, and practically a family member, but he just couldn't help it. Perhaps it was the fact that her bathing suit revealed gentle curves that he hadn't noticed before, or the fact that she started wearing a light perfume that did funny things to his insides. Either way, that summer had resulted in a horribly bungled kiss on the Hogwarts Express that still made Teddy flush a little to think about.

It wasn't that it still affected him (that would be ridiculous) it was just that he couldn't believe he'd been such an idiot about it. He hadn't even given the poor girl any warning. One moment, they were talking, and the next, he had kissed her. He still wasn't sure why he hadn't been able to stop himself. For someone who usually prided himself on logical decisions, it seemed preposterous now. He had long since written it off as a combination of teenage bravado and raging hormones. Thank Merlin he'd gotten over that infatuation before it had gotten too embarrassing.

Still, he was looking forward to seeing her more often. She had mentioned, in passing, that she was interested in Hascosay, and he wondered what he could do to help her. He would love to see her go there, and he knew Charlie would as well. She would do well there.

With a small start, he realized that it was practically midnight. In all his musings, he hadn't noticed the hours slipping past. He kicked his shoes off and pulled his jumper over his head. If he was going to be awake, and chipper enough to face his class of third years in the morning, he'd better get to sleep.

**What do you think? Time to Review! **


	6. Of Awkward Accusations

**Hello again! Finally we get to a chapter that has some interaction between our two main characters. Though I think I've made it painfully obvious where this is going, this chapter should remove all doubt. Now you just have to wonder how and when!**

**A huge thank you to all who have reviewed! Hope you enjoy!**

**Of Awkward Accusations **

Tori glanced at the clock for, what seemed like, the hundredth time since class started. It wasn't that she didn't like Herbology, it was just that Care of Magical Creatures was next and she had been excited since she woke up that morning. It seemed as if no matter how many years Tori was in school, she always woke up with butterflies in her stomach on the first day. While she knew that it was a little silly to _still_ be nervous on the first day of school, she couldn't really help it. Especially considering the fact that Care of Magical Creatures was the second class of the day.

She tried her hardest to focus on what Professor Longbottom was saying, something about Snargaluff pods, she thought, but to no avail. She wondered what class with Uncle Charlie and Teddy would be like. Both of them were laid back, so she couldn't imagine that it would be a ridiculous amount of work. If she knew Uncle Charlie, though, he would want to push them. She was glad though, she needed all the edge she could get when she applied for Hascosay.

She looked up just in time to hear Professor Longbottom dismissing them. It took everything she had to stand up like a normal person and not bolt from the room. She threw the parchment with absolutely no Herbology notes on it into her bag and was heading for the door when someone called her name

She turned to see Professor Longbottom standing at his desk, looking at her expectantly. She stifled an impatient sigh and returned to his desk. She really did like Professor Longbottom; he was usually around for holidays because he was friends with her parents, but right now, she wanted to get down to Hagrid's hut early so she could get a spot near the front.

"You seemed a little distracted during class, Tori," Professor Longbottom said, "Everything okay?"

"Yes sir," she responded, hoping her impatience didn't show, "Sorry, I've been a little worried about the applications I have to fill out for my post-grad program."

While that wasn't entirely true, she figured it was safer than admitting to one of her favorite professors that she was more excited about her next class and the people teaching it than she was about his.

"Ah, yes," he replied with a small smile, letting her know that he didn't entirely buy it, "When is that application due?"

"March 1st," she responded, "And speaking of it, Professor, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind signing off on some extra tutoring sessions with Uncle…Professor Weasley that is. I'd planned on talking to him, but since you're my Head of House, I'm pretty sure that you'll have to approve the idea."

"That sounds fine to me," Professor Longbottom replied, "I know that Professor Weasley will be busy with classes, but I'm sure Professor Lupin could help out too."

Something in Tori's stomach jumped at the mention of Teddy, but she masked it quickly. She noticed an almost imperceptible rise in Longbottom's eyebrows; apparently he noticed more than he said. She cursed inwardly. She was going to have to get better at hiding that seemingly gut reaction to Teddy, childhood friend, first kiss, or otherwise.

"That sounds fine to me, sir," she said as nonchalantly as possible.

Longbottom collected the rest of his papers from the desk, and started towards the door.

"I'll speak to Professor Weasley today," he said with a smile.

"Thank you sir," Tori said, returning his grin, "I'll see you next class then."

She was almost out the door when he called her one more time.

"Oh, and Tori," he said almost as an afterthought, "I know you have a lot of…erm personal connections to both Professor Weasley and Professor Lupin. Just take care that those relationships remain were there should, hmm?"

Tori swallowed hard.

"Of course, sir."

On her way to the first floor, Tori turned Professor Longbottom's words over in her head. Certainly, he only meant that she should make sure to remember that Uncle Charlie was her teacher and not her family member. The way he'd said it though, it was almost as if he'd meant… But definitely not…there was no possible way that he would have known about that stupid kiss.

She didn't even feel that way about Teddy, for Merlin's sake. Well, not anymore. She supposed that if she was perfectly honest with herself, she'd had a tiny bit of a little-girl crush on him, but she'd grown out of that years ago. To think that she would ever feel that way about Teddy, especially now that he was her teacher was absolutely absurd. Longbottom must have been talking about Uncle Charlie. He _must _have.

* * *

Teddy wiped his, slightly damp, palms on the sides of his work robes before returning to the Blast-Ended Skrewt pit. He craned his neck to see the group of students trekking down to the edge of the forest. He hadn't been nearly this nervous for the group of third years that had just left. He told himself that it was just because the seventh years were older, harder to impress.

He had to stifle a smile when he caught sight of Tori, several meters behind the others. In truth, he couldn't really tell it was her yet, but the bright curls and something about the way she walked was unmistakable, at least to him.

He cursed when a white-hot scorch burned the back of his hand. He quickly released his grip on the Blast-Ended Skrewt he was holding and dropped it back into the pen. Even though Blast-Ended Skrewts were a little tame for this group, he and Charlie had decided to let them help with the feeding, seeing as how after the initial course description, they wouldn't really have time for a lesson.

Teddy _had _been organizing them better when he'd stopped paying attention, in favor of looking for Tori (well, his next class, that is) and one of them had sent a jet of flame across the back of his left hand.

Still cursing, he quickly dipped a rag in the rain barrel next to Hagrid's vacant hut and wrapped it around his stinging hand.

"Alright there, Ted?" Charlie called from the patch of Flobberworms they'd just introduced their third years to.

"Yeah," Teddy replied, still nursing his injury, "Just stupid."

Charlie chuckled. He'd certainly seen his fair share of burn.

Teddy busied himself with preparing the buckets of feed for the Skrewts as the seventh years filed into the corral area. He tried his best to look unaffected, but he couldn't help but glance at Tori, who'd gotten a spot near the front of the group. When he noticed that she was watching him too, he sent her a smile and was surprised to see her cheeks color slightly, even as she smiled back.

She must have been a little uncomfortable with the fact that two of her family members were now teaching her favorite class. Tori had always been a little more reserved than the rest of her family, and he was almost certain that she wouldn't want to make a big deal about being chummy with her professors. He'd have to remember to keep a little bit of a distance from her. He certainly didn't want any of the students thinking that that he played favorites just because he was already friends with Tori.

He moved to stand next to Charlie as the class settled down. Charlie launched into his speech about the ideas he had for the course and Teddy did his best to keep his vision moving around the group of students. He forced himself to pay attention to Charlie even though the speech was relatively similar to the one he had just given, only modified for the age group.

Charlie finished with the introductions and the seventh years began moving towards the Skrewt pen, eager to prove themselves. Tori passed almost directly by Teddy on her way to get a bucket of feed.

"Hello, Professor," she said with a grin, putting a sarcastic emphasis on the title.

Teddy chuckled.

"I haven't quite gotten used to that yet," he admitted.

"No promises that I'll remember to call you that all the time."

"Dully noted," he said, grinning down at her.

With another quick smile, she moved past him to get a bucket of Skrewt feed. He couldn't help but watch her go before moving to assist a Hufflepuff who was about to lose his hand.

**Let me know what you're thinking!**


	7. Of Private Tutoring

**Hello friends! I hope you're enjoying things so far. Sorry it takes me so long to update! Being a full time student and over-involved can be a problem that way. I hope you're getting excited about the extreme awkwardness that's going to happen between these two characters. I'm acutally looking forward to this getting uncomfortable! Hope you enjoy!**

**Of Private Tutoring**

Tori sighed as she sat down next to Hugo at the Gryffindor table. So far, she'd been to Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and Potions and it was becoming increasingly clear that classes this year would be difficult. She had Charms, Transfiguration, and Ancient Runes tomorrow. All those, at N.E.W.T. level, on top of Quidditch, meant that she could kiss free time goodbye, and that sleeping might take a serious back seat.

As she was spooning mashed potatoes onto her plate, Louis plopped down to her left.

"Tor, this place is amazing!" he exclaimed.

Tori smiled.

"I'm glad you like it," she said, ruffling his hair, "What have you done so far?"

Louis fidgeted in his seat, clearly too excited to even think about the enormous spread of food.

"So far, I've had Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions," he said, gesticulating so wildly that he practically took out a jug of pumpkin juice, "Professor Gallagher is so nice!"

"Oh yeah?" Tori asked, "She's the new Transfiguration teacher, right?"

Up until that year, McGonagall had juggled teaching and being headmistress, but after James and Hugo had managed to charm a carpet to fly and wound up in the French Riviera, she decided to hire another teacher so she could keep a closer eye on the students.

"Right." Hugo affirmed, "She's a lot younger than I expected a teacher to be."

"Really?" Tori asked, only half listening. She was glad Louis was excited, but she was going over how she was going to get the 8 inch essay Professor Longbottom had assigned them and coordinate Quidditch trials.

As Louis was finishing up his story on the to-young-to-be-a-teacher Professor Gallagher, Tori saw a handsome tawny colored owl circling the Gryffindor table. Several other people were also looking up in confusion. While owls during breakfast were relatively common, owls at dinner were usually only used for emergencies or professor's correspondence. The fact that the owl landed directly in front of Tori was even more unusual because she'd heard from her family that morning.

She quickly untied the small scroll of parchment tied to the owl's foot and fed it a small bit of dinner roll before glancing at the parchment.

_Ms. Weasley,_

_Kindly report to my office after you've completed your evening meal._

_Professor Lupin_

_So did I sound like a real professor, Tor? You'll have to tell me if that's how McGonagall would correspond with students. Perhaps I need to purse my lips a bit more as I write. Only joking, I'd never dream of poking fun at a fellow staff member; well, almost never. Anyhow, I do need see you in my office when you're done. "My office"… fancy that._

_Teddy_

Tori couldn't stop a smile from creeping onto her face as she finished the note and slipped it into the pocket of her robes.

Dominique, who had placed herself across from Tori was looking at her inquisitively.

"Victoire, who was that from?"

Tori stifled an eye-roll. Dominique was the only one in her family that insisted on calling her by her full name. While she appreciated the symbolic nature of her name, it just didn't suite her. She was born on the anniversary of The Battle of Hogwarts and her parents had given her a native French name that meant victory. She loved the story, but the shortened (and significantly less dramatic) version was more appealing to her. Dominique, who thrived on the dramatic, hadn't quite grasped that.

"Nothing," she responded after a slight falter, "Just something Dad wanted to tell me about a new Dragon Security Detail they have at the bank."

Dominique dismissed the nonexistent details with a wave of her hand, and Tori felt herself exhale in a breath of relief that she hadn't realized she was holding. She made sure to give an excuse that Dominique wouldn't question or find peculiar. Their father often shared the details of his job with Tori because she was truly interested. If a conversation wasn't socially or fashionably based, Dominique didn't take much interest.

As dinner progressed, Tori found that she wasn't really participating in the conversations going on around her. She kept turning her exchange with Dominique over in her mind. Why hadn't she simply said that the note was from Teddy, Professor Lupin that is, and that he needed to see her? The fact that Professors needed to meet with their students wasn't uncommon in the least. Granted, it was a little unusual on the first night of term, but not altogether unheard of. It made even more sense that the Care of Magical Creatures teacher would need to see Tori. Yet, for some reason, that she hadn't quite managed to justify to herself, she'd wanted to keep this meeting to herself.

Perhaps it was because she didn't know what the meeting was about yet. If she'd had a legitimate reason to give Dominique, she might have shared it. If Teddy was summoning her to his office just to talk to her, however, than that was a matter that she wasn't sure she wanted spread around to soon. Almost all of their friends and acquaintances knew of her family's connections to the new staff members and she didn't was anyone getting ideas about favoritism.

She grew a little more concerned when she recalled that, in a moment of weakness, she had confessed to a few of her dorm mates that Teddy had been her first kiss. She hoped that they wouldn't make the connection, but it was entirely possible that they would. Those were certainly rumors that she didn't want flying about the halls.

Before she was quite ready, the food had faded from the plates, and small groups of students were leaving for their common rooms. She left when the others around her did and James commented loudly when she turned away from the staircase that would take them to Gryffindor Tower.

"Not going back to the common room, Tor?" he practically shouted across the Entrance Hall.

Tori felt a blush rise in her face as several people turned toward the commotion.

"Erm, no," she managed evenly, "I've got to grab something from the library."

She turned and walked quickly to the far side of the Entrance Hall before her family could question her further. She slowed her pace, slightly, to make sure that they had disappeared up the staircase before she continued to the door of Teddy's new office. It was down a short hallway, just off the Entrance Hall.

As she approached the door, she recalled from class that Uncle Charlie had said that his door was to the right while Teddy's was to the left. She knocked lightly on the large oak door to the left and hoped that Teddy answered before she attracted any more attention. She was relieved to hear Teddy call at her to come in.

As she stepped into the small office, Tori noticed that the room was small, neat, and functional. Teddy was standing with his back to her, stoking the fire with a long, iron poker. She stood awkwardly in the doorway, not sure if she should sit or stand.

"Cheers, Ted…er…Professor," she said.

He turned instantly, an easy grin on his face.

`"Are you really going to start calling me that?" he asked, his wry smile carrying over to his voice.

Tori relaxed almost instantly. She couldn't, however, decide if this relaxed feeling was good or bad. Should she be relaxed around Teddy because they'd been friends forever? Or, should she feel as if she should maintain some distance, because he was her professor? Either way, that was probably a decision she needed to reason through later.

"I dunno," she replied, smiling back, "Don't you think I should, now that you're a teacher and all?"

He shrugged, wiping a bit of ash onto the side of his robes.

"Eh, I feel like it might not be a bad idea in front of other people, but when it's just us, it seems pretty unnecessary."

Tori resisted the urge to ask exactly how much time they would be spending together, alone.

"Works for me," she said, taking a seat in the armchair in front of his desk. He sat too, and propped his feet up on the corner of the desk.

"How are you feeling about this being your last year?" he asked, "You nervous yet? Merlin knows I was."

Apparently they were skipping the small talk.

She sighed.

"It doesn't feel quite real yet," she admitted, glad to finally talk to someone who knew her well enough that she could be frank.

People had been asking her that since the start of the summer holiday and she always felt strange answering it. She knew that most adults expected her to be excited and a little nervous, so that's what she had been saying to people. The nervous part was certainly true. She assumed that the excitement would follow once she heard whether or not she had gotten into Hascosay. Practically everything was hinged on that.

Teddy nodded; she could tell from his expression that he understood.

"I've heard through the gossip train of our rather extended family that you're applying to Hascosay," he said with a cocked eyebrow.

She smirked.

"And by that, you mean Uncle Charlie told you."

"Well, the other sounded more professor-y," he retorted sheepishly.

Tori chuckled lightly.

"Yes, oh wise and knowing one," she teased, "At least that's the plan."

"Good," he said, his smile growing larger, "You'll do well there."

"If I get in," she corrected.

Teddy waved his hand dismissively.

"Of course you will," he said, matter-of-factly, "You're you."

She rolled her eyes.

"Which counts for practically nothing," she replied, "My last name might get me in the door because of Uncle Charlie, but on my own, I'm not that important."

"Ah," said Teddy, obviously enjoying himself, "But you will be after this year."

"I take it, Professor Longbottom talked to Uncle Charlie about extra tutoring sessions," she said.

"Indeed," Teddy acknowledged, "And Charlie talked to me about supervising them."

Tori's eyebrows rose before she could top them. Apparently, they would be seeing quite a lot of each other this semester.

"Charlie decided that after classes and all, he didn't know if he would feel up to managing extra sessions," Teddy continued, "Obviously, you can talk to him whenever you need him, but as far as physical lessons go; he decided I should head those up."

Tori took a deep breath. For reasons unbeknownst to her, her insides clenched in a wave of nerves. Obviously, Teddy teaching her would be the same as Uncle Charlie doing it, so why did her stomach feel so tight? She met his eyes and realized that he was looking at her intently. His voice never faltered, but something in his steady gray-blue eyes was taking careful note of how she reacted. This, she noticed, seemed to unnerve her more than anything. The longer she held his gaze, the faster her heart beat and she wasn't sure that she was, at all, comfortable with that reaction.

"That makes sense," she responded, as evenly as she could manage.

"Also," Teddy said, continuing, "Because I just left Hascosay, I'm pretty damn familiar with the teachers and their styles."

"True." Tori said, forcing her heartbeat to return to a normal rate. After all, the only reason she had been uneasy in the first place was because she wasn't sure how other people would react. There was no reason in the world for her to be uncomfortable around Teddy.

"So are there any teachers there worth bribing" she joked, trying to alleviate the awkwardness she felt from the moment before.

Teddy laughed, seemingly relieved that she had returned to normal.

"Not sure about bribes," he responded dryly, "but a sexual favor or two might go over well."

Tori practically exploded with laughter. This was the Teddy she was comfortable with.

"I'll keep that in mind when exams come around," she managed.

Teddy chuckled as well.

"So, what nights would work for you?" he asked, still smiling.

"Quidditch is going to be Mondays and Wednesday afternoons," she pondered aloud, "So, I think it would be best for me to do those nights as well, so I can use Tuesday and Thursday to get the majority of my work done."

Teddy nodded almost instantly.

"Aside from teaching and managing the creatures and grounds, my schedule is pretty free," he replied, "I might actually end up having you help me some nights."

Tori nodded enthusiastically.

"Sounds good," she said.

"Right, well I suppose I'll see you tomorrow then," Teddy replied, "After dinner? About seven?"

"See you then," she answered.

* * *

As Teddy watched the door close behind Tori, he turned their conversation over in his mind. She had reacted so strangely when he'd told her he would be supervising her extra lessons. She hadn't seemed disappointed, just…concerned. That was it. She had seemed as if something about the situation made her uneasy, and he couldn't fathom why she'd ever feel that way. Nothing about it was out of the ordinary, except for the fact that they'd been friends for so long. And Teddy rather enjoyed that part of the arrangement. It felt more like he was spending time with a friend than tutoring a student. He'd just have to make sure that Tori felt the same way. As long as he took care to make sure that other students didn't feel like he favored her, he didn't foresee a problem. What happened during private tutoring sessions wasn't anyone else's business. Besides, it wasn't as if anything inappropriate was going on. Not in the slightest.

**I feel like this is becoming more transparent by the second, but oh well. I'm having fun. I hope you are too!**


	8. Of Work Partners and Gray Jumpers

**So I'm going to be real with you guys. This is usually the point in a story where I run out of anything original and stop. I've been spending the last few weeks coming up with ideas I like enough to keep this going. I have some stuff I like, but we'll see! Thank for sticking around!**

**Disclaimer: Clearly, I'm not J.K.R…**

**Chapter 8: Of Work Partners and Gray Jumpers**

Tori scrubbed her fingers down the side of her robes as she slipped into her last class on Wednesday afternoon. It seemed like every time she left Care of Magical Creatures, she had dirt under her fingernails for days. At this rate, she wouldn't be clean again until she retired. As she began to assemble her ingredients for the potion that was on the board, she noticed someone else slide into the work table behind her. She looked up and noticed Andrew Goldstein, the keeper for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, setting up his cauldron at the same table. Generally the Gryffindors and Slytherins had Potions together, but once you made it to N.E.W.T. level, they tended to mix the houses, because there weren't enough students to warrant two classes.

"Afternoon, Weasley," he said with a smile, "How goes the Seeker search?"

Tori grinned in return. She didn't know him well, but her few interactions with Goldstein had been pleasant enough.

"Not bad," she responded, easily, "I've had one introductory trial and it wasn't awful. Eric Peakes, third year I think, had some potential."

"Yeah, our team's not shaping up too badly. Losing Tahleys will be difficult, but I think we'll still give you a run for your money," he joked good-naturedly.

Tori laughed.

"We'll see about that."

Just as Goldstein was forming a comeback, Professor Munson called the class to order. He had come on staff several years back after Professor Slughorn returned to his retirement. Tori wasn't overly fond of him, but didn't hate him either. He was older and much more concerned with his chronic illnesses than actually teaching his subject. According to his frequent complaints, he had suffered just about every magical malady known to wizard kind. Tori was sure he knew a great deal about Potions, but he tended to write up instructions and let the students carry on for themselves.

"Settle down, younglings," he called as if the very effort pained him. He raised his hands wearily and the class quieted.

"Turn to the person sitting at your bench," Munson instructed, "and shake hands."

Tori turned to Andrew Goldstein and couldn't keep a smile from her face.

"You go by Tori, don't you?" he asked.

"It's easier," she acquiesced.

"Congratulations," Munson wheezed, "You've just met your permanent work partners."

Without wanting to give too much of a reaction, Tori hazarded another smile at Andrew. As she thought about it, she decided that she could have gotten off much worse. Andrew was smart and very nice. He wasn't too bad to look at either. He was tall and wide through the shoulders, with dark curly hair and brown eyes.

"Well now I'll have to beat you at Quidditch," he joked, "I'd be too embarrassed to sit next to you all year if you kicked our asses."

Tori laughed.

"You're on, Goldstein."

"If we're going to be friends, I feel like you should probably call me Andrew, eh Tori?" he joked.

"Who said we were going to be friends?" she said with as straight of a face as she could manage. She watched his confusion for a beat longer before she broke down and laughed.

He laughed along with her.

"Sarcasm. I like it." He responded.

"Probably a good thing, since you're stuck with me all year," she said.

"I wouldn't exactly call it 'stuck'" he said, his easy laughter taking a flirtatious edge, "I've had friends in this class before. I wasn't _entirely_ unaware of how Munson picks work partners."

Tori felt her face color slightly. Damn those red-headed genes. Wracking her brain for a quippy comeback, Tori felt herself growing more and more awkward. Her humor was generally good in all situations except for those related to the opposite sex. With her family, her friends, and her Quidditch team, she was able to tick off comebacks with the best of them, but the minute someone started flirting, she turned red and fell to pieces.

Andrew seemed to pick up on the fact that she was uncomfortable and changed the subject.

"So this Polyjuice Potion looks pretty difficult," he said, a smile still on his face.

Tori grinned, glad they were done with the flirting for the moment.

"I've heard of it once or twice," she grinned, remembering the storied Uncle Harry, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Hermione had told of their school escapades.

For the rest of the class, the two of them worked companionably. Tori actually felt surprised when the time was up. They cleaned up the remains of their boomslang skin and stored their cauldron on one of the back shelves to stew.

"See you around, Tori," Andrew said with a wink, as he headed for the Ravenclaw common room.

Tori managed a discomfited wave as she turned to the staircase. She kicked herself as she returned to her dormitory to change out her books before dinner. Could she have been any more awkward? It wasn't as if she had ever been very interested in Andrew Goldstein, but it wouldn't be totally awful to spend some time with someone nice, who made her laugh.

She shook her head to clear it. It didn't really matter much now. Andrew was probably wondering why he sat down at her table in the first place. Either way, it wasn't important. She had much bigger things than a good-looking Ravenclaw to focus her energies on. Her first tutoring session with Teddy was tonight, and she needed to focus if she had any prayer of getting into Hascosay. It was time to get down to business.

* * *

Tori felt as if it had never taken her so long to get through chicken and dumplings in her life. When she first arrived at dinner, she had decided that she had two options. She could either eat so quickly that she left before the other students, or she could take her time and leave last. While her original inclination was to eat quickly, she hadn't taken into consideration that Teddy had to eat as well. It wouldn't do to have her sitting outside of his office waiting for him to get back. Even though his hallway was somewhat out of the way, she didn't want to risk people seeing her waiting for him. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to keep this all such a secret; she just wasn't sure how people would react.

After what seemed like an eternity, Teddy finished his conversation with Professor Gallagher and stood up. With a quick excuse to Roxanne and Rosie, Tori stood and quickly made her way to the door of Teddy's office. She noticed that it was slightly cracked when she knocked.

"Come on in, Tor" he called from somewhere in the back of the office.

She entered and was instantly confused when she didn't see him anywhere.

"Teddy?" she called, not sure if she should get comfortable or get ready to go somewhere else.

"Just a minute," he gave a muffled cry from the open door of the small bedroom that adjoined his office.

After a few seconds, Teddy emerged in a faded pair of low-riding jeans, with a worn, gray jumper halfway over his head. Tori glanced away quickly and tried to erase the image of the flat planes of his stomach from her mind.

"I hope you brought a change of clothes," he said with a grin, "I know you have to wear the uniforms in class, but it when it comes down to it, old Muggle clothes make more sense for creature handling. Oh, and if I were you, I wouldn't mention that to McGonagall,"

Tori smiled shyly. She wasn't sure why she was feeling so timid. She'd lost track of the amount of times she'd seen Teddy half changed. They used to swim together nearly every day as kids. This whole teacher-student line was starting to make things difficult.

"I thought about that," she said with, what she hoped was, confidence. She pulled a pair of old jeans and an old Weird Sisters tee shirt.

Teddy looked fondly at her shirt.

"You know," he said, "In one of my favorite pictures I have of my mum and dad, mum's wearing that shirt."

"I stole it from Aunt Ginny," she replied warmly, "It's one of my favorites."

"I'm sure you wear it as well as she did," he intoned

Tori cleared her throat, not quite sure how to reply. She muttered a thank you as she glanced around, looking for a place where she could change. As if he could read her mind, he motioned back into his bedroom.

"That door on the left in there is the bathroom, if you need to change."

"Right," she said.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, she drew in a deep breath. She was seriously going to have to stop allowing herself to be that affected by things he said to her. In the several years that they'd been apart Teddy had gained a lot of presence that she wasn't quite prepared to handle. He'd always been honest with her, but the few times they'd been together since he left for Hascosay, she'd noticed how much more comfortable he'd seemed with himself. This extended to the fact that he sometimes said things that made Tori, who was compliment-shy to a fault, uncomfortable. It would just take some getting used to, that was all.

She changed quickly, and returned to his office.

"Did you bring anything warmer than that?" he asked, picking up a worn leather knapsack.

"Got the school sweater," she replied, rummaging through her bag.

"Nah, we might get messy," he replied, passing by her and striding back into the bedroom.

"Oh, well, I could run back upstairs and grab…" she started.

He reappeared almost instantly carrying a navy crew sweatshirt.

"This'll work," he said tossing it to her, "Might be a little big, but it'll get the job done."

Her chaser instincts kicked in and she caught it, even at an awkward angle.

"Nice catch," he said, "You ready?"

"Sure," she stuttered, digging through her bag, "I, uh, brought my book, you know, in case I need it."

Teddy glanced back at her, and gave her a quick once over. She knew that he could tell how nervous she was. Without a second thought, Teddy dropped the knapsack at the door and moved across the small office to stand in front of her. He pulled her bag from her hands and set it down on his desk. To her surprise he rested his hands on the tops of her arms. She inhaled sharply and caught a quick breath of the clean, fresh-air smell that he seemed to carry with him. He was much too close, but she felt no inclination to move.

"What's the matter?" he asked her, concern filling his eyes, "You're jumpy as a first year, and I don't understand why."

She spluttered, unable to take her eyes off the floor. She tried desperately to vocalize what she was feeling, but the problem was that she wasn't exactly sure what that was. She did know that she needed to move. Because having him this close was robbing her of every semblance of rationality she had, and that scared her more than she was willing to say.

"I just…" she started, not sure where she was going, "…It's a little strange to have you here as my teacher. We've always been friends, and I don't want that to change, but I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea. You know, about favoritism, or anything."

"Tori, no one's around right now," he said, forcing her to hold his gaze, "Don't worry about classes. I'll be professional there. I have to be. But when it's just us, I'd really like things to be the way they were."

* * *

He saw her exhale as if she'd dodged a bullet. He was glad when she nodded, because it gave him an excuse to move away from her. He wasn't sure why he'd done it in the first place, and he could tell it wasn't helping things. For starters, when he was this close to her, he could count every single freckle that ran across her nose, and something about that threw off his balance.

He watched as she moved toward the door, and smiled up at him.

"So how exactly are these lessons going to work, oh wise and wonderful Professor?" she joked, almost back to herself.

Teddy grinned in response. Maybe that moment was done, because the differences in their relationship clearly made them both uncomfortable. They would just have to find a new normal, and get to know each other well again. Then things would go back to the way they were. He was sure of it.

**So, in case you were unaware, they're both trying REALLY hard to ignore what is clearly becoming a problem. Hehehe, I dig it. And just so you all know, the further this goes, the more Teddy begins to look like Will Shuester in my head. I'm a Gleek; don't judge.**

**Oh, and the whole Andrew thing, sorry. I enjoy throwing wrenches around, it makes my life more fun, and it keeps you on your toes.**

**Tell me what you're thinking. As per request, I'm trying to make my chapters longer. Hope you like!**


	9. In Which Physicality is Appreciated

**Absolutely no excuses for how long this took. If you're still reading: THANK YOU! If not, then I'm just talking to myself, which wouldn't be all that different for me.**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill...**

Chapter 9: In Which Physicality is Appreciated

Tori felt the last of her blush evaporate as the cool night air brushed her cheeks. No matter what she was feeling, being outside made her feel more focused than she did anywhere else. She exhaled slightly and felt all the stiffness of the day leave. She'd live outside if it was an option.

Teddy chuckled lightly at her side.

"What?" she asked, looking over to him to see what was funny.

"It's just that I have that moment too, sometimes," he said with a smile, "That feeling that everything out here is better."

Tori returned his smile, although a little uneasily. If he could tell all that without her saying a word, either she was exceptionally transparent, or he could read her far better than she thought. In the spirit of keeping things the way they used to be, she made a conscious attempt not to over-analyze.

"It's been that way since we were kids," she mused lightly, "Don't you remember that Mum and Dad practically had to threaten our lives to make us come inside when you spent summers with us?"

"How could I forget?" he asked jovially, "There were nights we practically turned blue it was so cold. I'm surprised that I still have full function in all my fingers."

She laughed.

"Do you remember camping on the beach in the summers?"

"Do _you_ remember pitching the tent too far down, and the tide getting us at four in the morning?"

Tori laughed out loud.

"That wasn't a onetime occurrence if I recall correctly," she replied.

"Probably not," he confessed sheepishly, "I definitely remember trudging back up to your house with wet pajamas more than once."

"Mum was furious," she added, "Because we dripped water all over the kitchen."

"Yes, as I recall, your mother was never overly fond of the fact that I encouraged your outdoor explorations."

"Ah, that's because young ladies don't get dirty," Tori joked. It had taken her mother several years to grow accustomed to the fact the fact that Tori would rather play in the dirt than play with dolls.

"Well, let me assure you," Teddy retorted teasingly, "I never minded that you were willing to get dirty. It made you far more interesting than any of the other girls I knew."

Tori's cheeks colored slightly at the compliment. Because she couldn't think of anything to respond with, she glanced around and noticed that she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings at all. There was an oddly familiar feeling about the situation; she was following Teddy with no notion of where they were going. It was like revisiting childhood summers.

"Where exactly are we going, _Professor?_" she asked, hoping to retain this tentative banter that they'd managed to find again.

Teddy pulled a face at the title, and motioned towards the far side of the lake.

"There's a surprise that I found on the other side of the lake for you," he replied, his eyes flashing playfully.

"A surprise?" she raised an eyebrow skeptically, "We're not twelve, Teddy, you can just tell me."

"Now where," he asked, not a bit deterred by her logic, "would the fun be in that?"

Tori bit back a smile and acquiesced.

"How far around the lake exactly?" she asked. She'd never made it all the way to the farthest side, but it looked to be a good three or four miles.

"Pretty much directly across."

"And we're walking?" Tori asked incredulously.

"Now where," Teddy repeated, "would be the fun in that?"

As he finished his sentence, they approached a small paddock on the edge of the forest where a large tawny hippogriff observed them with wary eyes.

"He's beautiful!" she exclaimed, crossing quickly to the edge of the fencing.

"How do you know it's a 'he'?" Teddy asked in a challenging tone.

Tori didn't even glance back at him, her gaze locked on the hippogriff.

"He's at least eighteen hands," she said, moving around the side to get a closer look, "Females never get that big."

"Good," Teddy responded, clearly impressed, "You also knew that he's measured in hands, nice work."

Tori hazarded a glance towards him and noticed that he was watching her with a quiet amusement. She wasn't sure how to take that. Was he surprised at her knowledge, or proud of her? He was just slightly unreadable, and she couldn't tell why that left her feeling as awkward as she did.

She opted for changing the subject instead of asking him to explain himself. Tonight had been confusing enough as it was.

"So where's the other?" she asked.

"Other what?"

"Hippogriff. I assume we're riding."

"You assume correctly," he responded with the tiniest bit of mischief creeping across his features, "This guy's more than capable of handling both of us, though."

Something in Tori's stomach bottomed out.

"So there's only one?" she clarified.

"Sheesh Tor, give a guy a break," he said jokingly, "How do you think I got him here? You expected me to ride two hippogriffs with one ass."

Tori laughed uneasily. While she saw the logic of both of them traveling on one hippogriff, it didn't leave for a decent amount of distance between them. She knew enough about hippogriffs to know that pulling their feathers out while trying to hold on was unwise. That didn't allow for many places to get a decent grip. This should certainly be interesting.

"So who's leading?" she asked, unwilling to convey her unease to Teddy.

"Well, seeing as how hippogriffs were my study concentration at Hascosay, I figured I'd start off and let you take over on the way back."

"Seems fair," she responded, focusing more on the hippogriff than her muddled feelings.

"So how much hippogriff study have you done?"

"A bit," she replied, confidence growing, "We covered basic safety, feeding, and care. I've ridden once, but only with Hagrid."

"Excellent," he commented, "Most people don't ride until they get to post graduate programs."

Tori grinned in response.

"Hagrid's not exactly conventional," she replied, "And he wanted volunteers."

"That sounds like something you would do." Teddy said, his smile growing wider.

Tori's cheeks colored slightly at the fond look in his eyes. She was going to _have_ to get past him being her teacher. Especially when he had no intention of keeping any sort of teacher-ly distance. His comment hadn't been inappropriate, but it seemed oddly personal for the positions they were in. It seemed as if it was something she would just have to adjust to. He clearly had no intention of changing.

"So, just out of curiosity," Teddy continued, "That hippogriff didn't have any problems supporting Hagrid?"

Tori laughed aloud.

"It was…er…modified to say the least."

Teddy joined her laughter.

"I see," he added, leaving it at that.

He moved toward the paddock gate and hung his worn knapsack on a fence post. After rummaging through for a minute, he produced a long strip of, what appeared to be, dried meat.

"Ferret?" she implored.

He nodded, his eyes lighting up at her knowledge.

"You've done your homework," he commented.

She shrugged it off.

"It was one of the first things Hagrid taught us."

After re-fastening his knapsack, Teddy held it out to Tori. She took it from him, without question, but he explained himself anyway.

"If you're going to be in back, it makes more sense for you to where this."

Tori put it on and cinched the straps tightly so that they wouldn't flap around on the ride. She followed Teddy into the paddock, but hung back as he approached the hippogriff and bowed. She didn't want to crowd it and make it nervous. It was clear, however, that the hippogriff was exceedingly comfortable with Teddy. It returned his bow almost instantly, and within a matter of seconds, Teddy was feeding it the ferret and stroking his head.

It was encouraging to see Teddy talking quietly to the hippogriff. Some witches and wizards thought talking to creatures was a waste of time, but Tori (and Teddy apparently) felt it was beneficial. If you could keep a calm voice and a level head, you could almost always gain a creature's trust. Tori was convinced that they had an emotional sense that was nearly as communicative as language. She was glad to know that Teddy wouldn't shoot down that philosophy.

She watched as he maintained a steady stream of conversation while climbing gracefully onto the hippogriff's back. Watching him, it was nearly impossible not to notice his athleticism. He was clearly a man who spent a vast deal of time outside and was inherently comfortable with it. Everything from the broad line of his shoulders to the calluses lining his large hands spoke to the level of ease with which he controlled his body and did his job.

"You ready?" he asked once he was settled.

Tori swallowed her unease and moved toward the hippogriff. When she made her bow, she was pleasantly surprised that he responded easily. Teddy's presence must have been reassuring. She gave its beak a reassuring pat as she moved to the hippogriff's left side.

Almost instantly, she realized that climbing on would be difficult with Teddy already in position. When she had ridden with Hagrid, he'd simply picked her up and placed her behind him. Anticipating the reason for her hesitation, Teddy extended his arm.

"Grab on," he said with a lopsided grin, " I can pull you up."

Tori looked back skeptically.

"I don't weigh what I did at twelve, Ted." She said with a barely concealed eye roll. While she didn't doubt his strength, she'd filled out in the past couple of years.

His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly

"Try me," he challenged.

Figuring it was useless to argue, she grabbed his forearm. Almost expecting to fall on her ass, Tori placed her foot behind the hippogriff's wing joint and put the majority of her weight on Teddy's arm. To her shock, she had to do barely any work. With minimal effort, Teddy pulled her up behind him.

Though she was behind him and couldn't see his face, she could practically feel his smirk.

"Th-thanks," she stammered.

"Always." He replied, an odd intensity that make her wonder exactly what he meant.

Before she could ask where she should hold on (seeing as how she didn't want to pull out any feathers) Teddy reached behind him, seized her wrist, and dragged her arm around his torso.

"Try not to muss his feathers," he said laughingly over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I figured," she managed, too agitated to respond with much else. He was warm and solid. And he smelled like sandalwood. And it was entirely too distracting.

As the hippogriff took off, Tori found herself clinging to Teddy in the hopes that she wouldn't slide off. At least she told herself that that was the reason for the clinging.

**A/N: The denial abounds. Review if you'd like!**


	10. In Which Attractions are Realized

**A/N: Well, just like a bad penny, I'm back! It took me a while to figure out where I wanted to go with this, but I think I may have it, and I'm FINALLY excited about this story now! If you're a new reader: Welcome! If you're a returning reader: Welcome back! And thank you for sticking around! I'm finally allowing my character to admit attraction to each other, but just a little. :) Hope you like it!**

**In Which Attractions are Realized **

**Chapter 10**

Teddy allowed the tiniest of smug grins to sweep across his face as he used his knees to, effortlessly, steer the hippogriff across the lake. He knew that showing off for Tori probably fell into the realm of "inappropriate professor behavior" but hearing her quick intake of breath as he pulled her up behind him was immensely satisfying. For reasons he wasn't willing to think about, the look of disbelief when he'd offered to pull her up annoyed him more than it should have.

"So this is only your second ride?" he asked over his shoulder.

"Yes, but it's amazing!" Tori exclaimed, the excitement evident in her voice as he urged the Hippogriff higher over the black water of the lake.

Perhaps because he was his mother's son or perhaps because he was a bit of a natural show-off, Teddy felt the overwhelming need to ensure that this hippogriff ride stood out more in her memory than her first did.

"What did you and Hagrid last time?" he asked over the increasing whistle of the cool night breeze.

"Not as much as I would have liked," she answered, "We circled the paddock a few times and came back down."

Teddy's grin widened.

"Well then, love, you better hold on a little tighter for this one," he said in a challenging sort of rumble.

With no further warning, he seamlessly changed the direction of the hippogriff's flight and sent them into a smooth, gliding dive. A wild sort of thrill ran through him as Tori threw her other arm around his chest to keep her balance. She let out a small squeal of surprise that quickly morphed into a gleeful and untamed laugh.

It was good to hear her laugh that way. Ever since he's known her, Tori had been fearless about everything but speaking her mind. She would climb trees, jump off of seaside cliffs, and ride hippogriffs, but she carefully filtered and considered every emotion that crossed her face and every word that left her mouth. He had, long ago, realized that Tori felt deeply but rarely vocalized her emotions. As someone who had grown downright frank over the years, he was often left wondering what she was actually thinking.

"This is phenomenal!" she exclaimed, "I didn't even know hippogriffs could move like this."

It made Teddy smile that they got excited over the same insignificant facts.

"They have a muscular structure that's surprisingly complex for their size," he responded, "They're agility is impressive."

"No kidding," Tori called back, "Can we dive like that, again?"

If she wanted a show, he could certainly deliver. He'd connected with this particular hippogriff on the first day he arrived at Hogwarts, and he'd handpicked it for tonight's travel. Some animals simply understood you. Though some in his field called him crazy, he was more than convinced that animals were more communicative than humans. They had personalities. And Thorin, this particular hippogriff, was a kindred spirit. He tossed his feathered head, eager to expel some of his pent-up energy.

The power of the creature below him and the unbridled elation of the girl holding onto him was a dizzying combination. Teddy felt invincible.

"Hang on," he said, freeing his left hand to adjust her arms lower and tighter.

Her fingers sank into the worn material of his jumper as they climbed higher and higher. They were on par with the twinkling lights of the highest astronomy tower when a slight pressure change in Teddy's knees caused Thorin to slow to stop. Suspended on a westward current, the two riders hung breathlessly in midair for several seconds until Teddy urged him into a heart stopping dive.

Teddy's breath hitched when Tori's fingernails caught a bare strip of skin where his sweater had ridden up. It should have hurt. Instead, it caused a noticeably heated increase in the swooping sensation in his stomach. He had never, in his 21 years, felt something this incredibly good. It was a sensory assault. Some combination of the whistling in his ears, the gut-wrenching dive, and her fingernails in his skin caused his mind to reel into locations that were entirely inappropriate and decidedly unprofessional. While he knew he should, at this particular moment, he couldn't bring himself to care.

Tori's shriek echoed in his ears as Thorin leveled only inches from the surface of the water. He let out a delighted laugh as he steered the hippogriff toward the far bank. The riders touched down with ease and Teddy practically leapt to the ground. Still in motion he turned and caught, a breathless, Tori around the waist and lifted her to the ground with ease.

She was trembling from head to toe, but the mile-wide grin on her face ensured that it was from adrenaline instead of fear.

"That was - the most –_incredible_ thing I've ever done!", she panted, still holding onto his elbows for support.

"Nothing like it," he agreed with an equally large grin.

Just then, Teddy let go of Tori's arms before she was quite ready. Still knock-kneed from the intensity of the dive, she faltered forward and stumbled against the solid wall of his chest. Instinctively, his hands went to her hips to steady her.

And then she looked up and met his eyes, her own glowing with unadulterated delight.

It wasn't until that moment with her standing in his arms, hair a riot of wind-blown curls, and skin flushed, that Teddy allowed the tiniest fraction of his brain to recognize that Victoire Weasley, his childhood friend, now student, was easily the most attractive woman he had ever known. She was also 100% off limits. Without even a full week of his first job under his belt, Teddy Lupin began to realize that he was in very real trouble.

Tori felt something in her gut wrench as she saw Teddy's eyes darken almost imperceptibly. In the course of an instant, his expression went from laughter, to confusion, to staggering need. It was, unmistakably, the same look she'd seen in the great hall, the one that echoed of long-forgotten kisses on the Hogwarts express.

She stepped back quickly and bent to retie her already perfect trainer. She _had_ to snap out of this. She was clearly losing it if she was to the point where she was imagining heated gazes where there weren't any. It seemed, much as it pained her to admit it, that some daft, little-girl part of her still longed for Teddy's attention in a way that was neither student-like or friendly.

This was totally unacceptable. She needed to create some distance before this got out of hand. Despite whatever insane, illogical, and downright obnoxious part of her wanted him to want her, she knew that it was totally impossible. Teddy was older, more experienced, confident, and good-looking, in a rugged sort of way. He could easily date whomever he chose. There was no way, in a thousand years that he'd ever feel romantically inclined towards her. She was disgusted with herself for even considering something so foolish. The thought held no semblance of rationality at all.

After she'd returned her breathing to normal, she stood up, attempting to appear as normal as possible.

"So, what exactly is this surprise?" she asked, priding herself on how normal her voice sounded.

It was just then that she noticed that Teddy had walked a good ten feet away from her and was pacing as if it were his job.

Oh Merlin! Had he guessed? Did something in her eyes betray how utterly stupid she was?

"It's uh – it's over here," he motioned, a bewildered look on his face.

She followed him hesitantly, praying to any god that would listen that she hadn't given herself away.

Teddy cleared his throat and appeared to be regaining some of his wits. She wasn't entirely sure what had happened, but she certainly wasn't about to ask.

They ended at the edge of that darkening water and Teddy whistled out a strange tune that Tori was unfamiliar with. She waited, anticipating their next move and trying not to be upset that Teddy hadn't met her eyes since they landed.

Without warning, a blue roan snout poked its way cautiously from the edge of the lake. It nibbled on some seaweed and watched them out of the corner of its huge eye.

"A hippocampus!" Tori exclaimed, the majority of her momentary awkwardness gone.

Teddy smiled, and she was relieved to see that it reached all the way up to his eyes.

"Ever seen one?" he asked, apparently refusing to acknowledge what had passed between the, earlier.

"No, but I read a book about them last summer," she responded. If he could play that game, so could she.

"Well, we'll talk through some of the major facts tonight, feed a little, and maybe next time we can venture down to see the nest. "

Tori's eyes widened in anticipation.

"Really?"

"Really."

He gave her arm a teasingly light punch, seemingly undaunted.

"Gotta get used to adventures if you're going to make it at Hascosay, Tor."

"Oh, I am," she said, returning the challenge, "You just wait."

He simply smiled and handed her a cache of lake plants to feed the hippocampus. Tori was exceedingly grateful that Teddy had dropped his earlier awkwardness. He seemed perfectly willing to ignore the tension that had passed between them without any explanation. Tori was fine with that. She wasn't one to externally analyze, especially when it involved feelings she probably shouldn't be having towards a teacher.

A small, very traitorous part of her brain, however, wanted to know what he had been thinking. Had he reacted to something in her? Or did he feel strange about their physical proximity. She allowed her eyes to trail across his face when he wasn't looking. Maybe she'd never know.

Unbeknownst to her, Teddy was trying, with everything he had, to control the emotions he let escape across his face. The pull he felt towards her was inappropriate to the extreme. He needed to back off, and quickly.

He couldn't, however, banish the memory of the elation he'd felt while riding. He now realized that a very large part of that had to do with her clinging to him as if he was a tree in a hurricane.

**Hope you liked it! Let me know! A gold star to anyone who can guess what this whole thing is an extended metaphor for. :)**


	11. Of Potions and Picnic Baskets

**Yes, I know, I'm a terrible person who takes months and months to update. In my defense, I've graduated from college, started a new job, gotten married, and moved into a new house in those 6 months, so at least I've got good excuses. Probably none of you are old readers because I take so long to update, but maybe you're here for the first time, and I hope you enjoy. Perhaps I'll even finish sometime this decade. :)**

**Chapter 11: Of Potions and Picnic Baskets**

Over the next several weeks, Tori felt that she was finally beginning to develop a routine that worked for her. Four classes a day, Quidditch and lessons with Teddy on Mondays and Wednesday, homework on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, and desperate attempts at sleep and rest on the only bit of the weekends that she had left. While it was thoroughly exhausting, she was loving every minute of it. She had always been the type to thrive on a schedule. Idleness wasn't her style, and all the hard work made her feel as if her goals were that much closer.

She had even managed to get a handle on the tiny remnants of attraction for Teddy that refused to vanish. She hadn't figured out how to turn it off, but after several weeks of carefully crafted facial expression she had, at least, managed to mask it. While she was absolutely positive that it was surely nothing more than the vestiges of a stupid childhood crush, it was difficult to ignore the fact it was happening more and more often. It was fruitless, and she knew it, but the feelings were there just the same.

She pondered this as she made her way to her potions class that Wednesday. Teddy had mentioned that the creature they were focusing on for her lesson tonight was elusive and difficult to find. He had owled her at breakfast to say that she should count on a longer session than usual, and to skip dinner (well the note had actually said "leave dinner to me," but Tori found herself reading entirely too far into those words, so she was ignoring them) and meet him early.

She was going to have to find a better way to distance herself from him. It wasn't that she wanted to; she was just afraid of what might come out of her mouth. She was getting too comfortable, and it was time to readjust. She had tried her hardest to avoid personal subjects and keep everything about either school or Hascosay, but Teddy had a way of getting under her skin and making her forget about the wall that she should be keeping up. Tonight, she promised herself, she wouldn't stray from appropriate topics. She just couldn't.

When she finally made it into potions, she retrieved the half-done Draught of Living Death that she and Andrew Goldstein had started last class and began to stir it clockwise. Andrew breezed in a few seconds later and began assembling the next batch of ingredients with a friendly smile. Tori had found that she like working with Andrew more and more as the year went on. They had managed to find a comfortable banter that made class go by quickly.

"Tough break, the other night, Goldstein," Tori opened in reference to Ravenclaw's narrow Quidditch defeat over the weekend.

Andrew hung his head in mock shame.

"Alas, the Quidditch gods were not smiling on us," he replied gravely.

Tori chuckled.

"Perhaps," he continued, "our luck will change Friday, though."

"Not a chance," Tori replied, "We'll destroy you. You should accept it now."

Gryffindor had creamed Hufflepuff in the last match, and the team was in better shape than ever. Tori was almost certain of a victory when her team played Ravenclaw on Friday night.

"Continue dreaming, Weasley," he retorted, "Just try not to drool in the potion, as it might cause it to explode."

Tori laughed openly. With all the preliminary work that the Draught of Living Death required, it had taken them nearly two weeks to get to this point.

She was just about to turn her attention fully to the very tricky business of counting out the exact number of full and half turns that the potion required when he interrupted her.

"Say, Tori," he started, never looking up from his knife, "What do you say to letting me buy you a butterbeer in Hogsmeade on Saturday?"

Tori's eyes widened; that was the absolute last thing she had expected. While she had come to expect a tiny bit of flirtation from him, she had no idea that Andrew had been planning on asking her to Hogsmeade. She was just about to invent an excuse that wouldn't hurt his feelings, when none other than Teddy Lupin came strolling into the dungeons.

Luckily, Andrew turned to look at him, so he didn't see the blush that crept up Tori's cheeks.

"Good afternoon, Professor Munson," Teddy started jovially, "I've just been down to see to our unicorn herd, and one of the mares kindly allowed me to retrieve a few of her hairs. I thought you might find them beneficial."

"Why of course," Munson wheezed, taking great pains to remove himself from his chair, "Kind of you, Lupin."

"Anything for a fellow professor," Teddy responded with a great deal of pomp.

Tori rolled her eyes. He really enjoyed hamming up the "professor" title. As Teddy made his way to the door, he passed by her table and winked at her. Averting her gaze immediately, Tori overturned the small vial of dragon's blood that she'd measured earlier.

"Damn," she muttered, reaching for her wand to clean it.

Andrew, however, beat her to it.

"Scourgify," he said siphoning off the worst of the stain.

"Thanks, apparently I'm a bit klutzy today."

"No worries. So, erm, about Hogsmeade? What do you say?"

Tori took a deep breath. Recalling the way Teddy's mere entrance into the classroom had affected her, she decided that a distraction in the form of a dark-haired, Quidditch-playing Ravenclaw sounded like a capital idea.

"I'd like that, Andrew," she said with a smile, "Let's plan on it."

Andrew failed to notice that the smile never quite reached her eyes

* * *

"Damn, I'm going to be late," Tori muttered as she ran down the stairs towards the door of Teddy's office.

She had gotten caught up at Quidditch practice because it had taken the team much longer than it should have to run through a series of drills. With Halloween approaching, the majority of students were beginning to lose a little bit of focus.

After practice, she had only had time to run back up to Gryffindor tower and grab a change of clothes.

Teddy was sitting at his desk when she burst through the door.

"Sorry…" she panted, "Quidditch was late… and …didn't get to change."

"No problem," Teddy responded, "You know where the bathroom is."

As Tori made her way through his small apartment to the, now familiar, bathroom door, it occurred to her that she'd forgotten to knock when she got to Teddy's office. She mentally smacked herself on the forehead as she pulled her tee-shirt over her head. Getting to a point where she was comfortable enough to barge into his personal space was definitely unacceptable.

With an awkwardness that she couldn't hold at bay, she slunk back into his office.

"S-sorry about just bursting in like that," she stammered, eyes intent on the slightly faded oriental carpet, "Should've knocked."

Teddy looked up from the stack of 5th year essays he had been grading at the note of discomfort in her voice.

"S'alright," he said with a shrug of his broad shoulder, "It's not like I was naked or anything."

Tori felt her blood pressure increase at the mere mention of the word naked coming out of his mouth. She invented a reason for a quick rummage through her book bag and waited for the color to fade from her cheeks.

"Ok, get it together," she thought, "This is no different from what you've been doing for the past six weeks."

"Ready," she said aloud (and a little too brightly.)

"Excellent," Teddy said, finishing a comment on the essay he was working on with a particular flourish. He stood and stretched, a good deal of the gray jumper he seemed to favor rising to expose his stomach and reached for his knapsack.

"Ever thought of investing in a bigger jumper?"Tori intoned sarcastically.

"Why? Do my rippling abdominals make you uncomfortable?" he retorted with a goofy waggle of his eyebrows.

Tori snorted and refrained from comment. She was puzzled when he retrieved an awkwardly shaped basket from the side of his desk.

"Are we collecting something tonight?"

"Well, if we tried to collect a mooncalf, we'd need a basket a bit bigger than this."

Tori's eyes lit as she momentarily forgot the basket. Mooncalves were extremely rare and difficult to find. Rumored to be about the size of a yearling horse, mooncalves performed a complicated mating dance in open fields on and around the full moon. Their camouflage and keen dislike of humans meant that there were few witches or wizards who could give accurate descriptions of them. The sketch in Tori's textbook had a caption explaining that it was the closest possible likeness, but one could never be certain.

"Have you ever actually seen one?" she asked.

"Once," he replied, feeding off of her obvious interest, "up at school in my final year."

"Honest?!" she exclaimed, "I asked Hagrid about them last year, and _he'd_ never even seen one!"

"I sat up for most of the night, freezing my ass off in a field," he explained wryly, "But seeing the dance was incredible."

"Are we very likely to see one this close to a village? I thought they preferred the open country."

"The fields and woodlands on the far side of the lake are pretty abandoned. They function under the muggle-repellent charms that protect Hogwarts, and it's off limits for students because it's still, technically, part of the Forbidden Forrest," he explained, "I can't say that there's one out there for sure, but if there is, tonight's perfect."

"Harvest moon?" she questioned.

"Mmm-hmm."

In autumn, mooncalves performed complicated mating dances during the full moon. They left intricate patterns on fields that were often taken for crop circles.

"It's something of a prideful matter," Teddy explained, "in the creature handling word, to have seen a mooncalf. People talk of the amount of 'sightings' they've had. I want you to have one before you go there. It'll give you an edge that the other first years won't have."

Tori nodded, touched, as she always was, about how seriously he took her training and believed in her dream. It was one of the things that made this damn attraction so difficult to hold back.

"That still doesn't explain the huge basket she said," motioning to it just as he was adjusting its weight in his hand.

Teddy's ready grin spread across his face.

"This," he said, hefting the basket, "Is dinner."

** Review? Or not. **


	12. In Which Voyeurism Occurs

**Hello again. I feel that I should just stop apologizing for the long update times. It's something that you guys probably expect by now... I know, I'm awful. I'm having more and more fun with this, and on my other multi-chap (A Touch of Rain) that I've managed to update this week as well! Who knows? Perhaps that writing fairies are becoming kinder. Thanks to all who read and review. Please enjoy!**

Chapter 12: In which Voyeurism Occurs

Teddy started out the door and headed for the small side door at the end of the corridor. The oak doors of the entrance hall were a bit closer to the path they'd need to take around the lake, but it was relatively early still and the hall was buzzing with the dinner crowd. It wouldn't do to have half the school see them stroll out the doors with a bloody picnic basket.

He'd already heard a small undercurrent of rumors about how much time Tori spent in his office. It was to be expected, he supposed. In a school the size of Hogwarts, not much stayed secret, and things were blown out of proportion with stunning ease. He wasn't terribly bothered by the gossip, but he knew that Tori, who was terribly private, would be uncomfortable if they grew.

He held the door open for her, and sucked in a breath as her wild hair brushed his shoulder when he passed. He had tried to ignore the mounting attraction he felt for her, but had pretty much resigned himself to the fact that it wasn't going to budge. Now the trick would be reining it in. Teddy Lupin wasn't the sort to give up on something he wanted, especially if it was a beautiful, strong-willed, and stubborn challenge.

As they circled the building and made for the lake, Tori wheeled around and extended her hand.

"Want me to grab the basket?" she asked, "It seems you're doing all the carrying."

Teddy scoffed, good-naturedly.

"Pretty girls don't carry baskets when they walk with me," he replied with an arch of his eyebrow.

He really should knock off those types of comments, he knew, but watching the blood race up her cheeks so prettily was too tempting of an offer to pass up. He couldn't be sure where her reaction stemmed from, but it was so endearing that he didn't particularly care.

"A-are we walking this time?" she faltered.

Teddy nodded.

"It's about half a mile to the field I have picked out," he intoned, "It's not quite all the way around, so I figured we'd hoof it."

"Fine with me," she said, shaking her wild hair out in the evening breeze.

Teddy was glad that she was walking in front of him, because it gave him an excuse to study her at his leisure. She was ever the mystery; shy and awkward one moment, and totally in her element the next. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what caused her mercurial moods, but he was keen enough to sense that his slightly-too-intimate comments seemed to trigger her shy setting.

What he couldn't understand, was the why of it all. Nothing he said was suggestive. It would fall into the "mildly flirtatious" category at most. While his good sense told him that even _that _was probably crossing a line, he couldn't understand how a young woman with so much ease and confidence could go to pieces over something so simple.

He watched her walk; the long ends of her faded jeans catching on grass, her small hand swatting at passing fauna, and the quickly sinking sun catching every bit of the red that shot through her hair. She was stunning. Because she was nothing like the other girls her age (or even his age), he appreciated her all the more. She was focused, intelligent, and had a quiet confidence that was overwhelmingly attractive. So, with all those advantages, Teddy couldn't figure out why she stammered like a cornered first year when he spoke as anything other than her professor.

When he thought about it logically, he could only turn up two possible reasons for her reaction. The first, was that she was bound and determined to keep her distance as long as they were in a student and professor roll. This made sense. Tori didn't like to be talked about, and certainly wouldn't appreciate any flying comments or awkwardness in the halls. She would like, even less, for people to suggest that her good grades or accomplishments were the result of anything less than her own talent and hard work. These were reasons that he could both understand and respect. It meant that everything would go back to normal after she graduated in May.

The only other reason that he could fathom was preposterous. If, by some stretch of the imagination she was feeling… No. He wouldn't even allow himself that thought. It was too improbable and entirely too dangerous. Nothing of that nature could or would happen. Period.

As he was shaking his head to clear it, he realized that they were nearly to the clearing that he had in mind.

"See that open spot up ahead?" he asked, motioning with the picnic basket.

She trained her eyes to the exact spot and nodded a small smile on her face.

"Let's start hoping for some mooncalf sightings."

Tori set down her book bag and stretched when Teddy indicated that they'd reached their destination. The night was absolutely delicious. There was something about the last few weeks of October that was sheer perfection. All the trees at the edge of the clearing were shot with red, orange and gold. The air that played over her skin was crisp without being cold, and the edges of the sky were just beginning to streak with the fading sun.

Being outside all the time was one of the biggest draws of going to Hascosay next fall. The pamphlet and all the research that she had done told her that for every indoor class, there were three that were outside and focused on the practical. She couldn't think of anything that she'd rather do for the next three years.

"Gorgeous out, isn't it?" Teddy asked as he rummaged around the basket.

"Entirely," she agreed, "This is the best part of the year."

"And of the day," he added, "I love watching the light fade."

She responded with just a smile, because she didn't want to risk getting sappy. She knew that Teddy shared her absurd love of the outdoors, but she felt silly rambling about it, just the same.

"So what happens now?" she asked, sitting cross-legged on the coarse grass, "We just wait for one to show up?"

Teddy gave her an exasperated look as he shook out a much-used red blanket.

"What happens now," he said with a roll of his eyes, "Is that you get up and help me spread this blanket. Honestly woman, did you think I was going to let you sit in the grass?"

Tori cursed inwardly as she jumped to her feet and grabbed a corner of the blanket. She really wished that he'd stop being so damn considerate. All of this would be much easier if he just treated her like any other student.

"I like the grass," she said with the slightest edge of defensiveness.

"Be that as it may," he responded, settling himself on one side, "When one brings a lady on a picnic, one generally provides a cozy place to sit."

"Lucky for you, I'm not a lady," Tori retorted, quite pleased with how sarcastic and unaffected she sounded.

Teddy shrugged good-naturedly.

"Come on, Tor," he said, "Don't tell me that you don't like a good picnic. When we were kids, we ate outside more than in."

She smiled at the memories.

"True," she conceded.

She settled herself down and decided that she liked this particular blanket immediately. It was red plaid, and looked as if it had seen better days. Something about its wear was friendly, however. It would have been prickly and itchy if it had been newer and less washed. The faded flannel was already beginning to soak in and hold the heat that the sun had left behind. It was, without equal, the perfect picnic blanket.

He wordlessly passed her the basket as he began to unlace his boots and toe them off the edge of the blanket.

"Getting comfy?" she asked.

"I hate shoes," he griped.

"I know."

He glanced up, and the look that followed was much too soft for Tori's liking. It hinted at their entirely too entangled past and held something else that she avoided quickly.

"What's for dinner?" she changed the subject, "I'm starved."

"A veritable feast," he announced, quite pleased with himself.

He pulled items from the basket as he named them, and spread it all out for her to see.

"Apples, cheese, pretzels, aaaaand," with a grand flourish, "corned beef, lettuce, and mayo on rye."

"That's my favorite!" she said with a grin.

"I know," he intoned in a voice that softened considerably.

She avoided his eyes as she took a sandwich, entirely too nervous about what she might see there. For heaven's sake, it was just a sandwich, she reminded herself. Nothing to get so worked up over.

"And the perfect touch to every October evening," Teddy continued, pulling a six-pack of brown bottles from the basket, "Autumn Lager Witches Brew."

"Teddy!" she said, trying her best not to sound naïve and shocked, "You can't be serious."

Witches Brew was a popular brand of beer that her father and uncles drank regularly. She was of age in the wizarding world, and had had alcohol before, but nothing about this was ok. School sanctioned outings with a professor for extra study was one thing. Picnic suppers, on too-friendly blankets, while drinking beer was another matter entirely.

"What?" he said with dismissal, "You're of age."

"Do you drink with all your students?"

"Do you see McGonagall around?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Are you going to tell her? Because I certainly won't."

"No, but, Ted, this can't be…"

Teddy held up his hand, interrupting her again.

"If I wasn't your professor, would you think twice about this."

"No," she answered honestly, "Probably not."

"Then don't worry about it now," he responded, his smile growing wider as he cracked the top off of one of the bottles and handed it to her.

With a resigned sigh, she took it. There really wasn't going to be anyone around for a good half mile, and if Teddy thought it would be ok, then it probably would. He was usually right about these things. Usually.

"Your team looked good last weekend," he said in reference to Gryffindor's easy win over Hufflepuff.

"Thanks," Tori said, pleased, "It took a few weeks, but I feel like we're finally getting a good rhythm together."

"Well, you had to replace a few, didn't you?"

"A chaser and a seeker."

Teddy winced in sympathy

"A knew seeker is hard enough," he mused, "but finding a chaser that can work with the others that you have already is murder."

Teddy had been a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team up until his graduation year. He and Tori had played together for one season.

"That pair of beaters you've got is excellent," he commented.

"That they are," Tori agreed, "They've known each other since they were little. I think they learned to play together."

"That can make all the difference," he said, "It's the reason that Molly and I were such a good pair as beaters."

Teddy and Tori's cousin Molly (her Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey's daughter) had been beaters on the team. Like the two boys who played beater for Gryffindor now, they were childhood friends who knew each other's style so well that they made a perfect team.

"How is Molly?" Tori asked.

Molly was a year younger than Teddy and had been abroad working in the wand making industry since her graduation.

"Good, last I heard," he replied, "We owl occasionally, and she said a few weeks ago that she was planning on marrying a Russian bloke in the spring."

"I think Dad mentioned that," she said, sudden comprehension dawning.

"Arthur will love him," Teddy added with a smile, "He's a muggle."

Tori laughed.

"The poor man will never get away from him."

Tori started on her sandwich and enjoyed the easy silence. One of the most brilliant things about Teddy was that he didn't believe in excess chatter. From the time they were small, they had the rare and unique ability to start and stop conversations that often included long stretches of silence. In a family as loud as the one they had grown up in, it was a nice change of pace. It gave her time to think without being alone.

There was something lovely about eating outside, Tori mused. She liked the feel of the soft, chilly, October breeze around her shoulders as she enjoyed her corned-beef. It did feel as if it might get uncomfortably cold before the night was over, however. She wondered if, when the time came, she would be able to transfigure her sweater into something more substantial.

"Want another?" Teddy interrupted the conversation in her head.

She realized, as she turned to look at him, that she was all but finished with her first Witches Brew.

"Sure," she said, making a mental note to pay attention to how quickly she had this next one.

"That's my girl," Teddy said with a smile, reaching for another.

Little he knew.

"I lost track of how many of these I had at Hascosay," he said fondly as he opened a new one for himself as well.

"Big drinking place?" Tori asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"Not especially," Teddy retorted, "It just makes a hard day's work feel a little bit better."

Tori agreed, but didn't feel the need to say so. The Autumn Lager was new to her, but she liked it immediately. It had a bit of a nutmeg taste to it that made it simultaneously cozy and refreshing.

"So when exactly should we expect to see this mooncalf," she asked, remembering her vow to discuss academia only.

"They usually appear between midnight and two a.m."

Slightly confused, Tori checked her watch and saw that it was barely past eight o'clock.

"So, why in Merlin's name are we here this early?"

Teddy looked sheepish.

"There's a small chance that Professor Trelawney _might_ have been hosting a dinner party tonight that I didn't particularly care to attend."

Tori feigned injury.

"Are you saying," she asked in mock outrage, "That you're using me, Professor Lupin?"

"Well, it's just that you're so easy," he retorted without missing a beat.

Tori laughed out loud.

"You're an ass," she said.

"I'm aware."

He passed her an apple before confessing further.

"It actually wouldn't have been so bad if Ginny Gallagher wasn't going," he admitted, "Trelawney's a crazy old bat, but she's usually good for a laugh."

"Ahhhh, the truth comes out," Tori teased, attempting to ignore the swoop of unpleasantness in her stomach, "Trying to hide from an admirer, Ted?"

"Not exactly," he said, "I don't mind her; it's just become abundantly clear to me that she sees our relationship in a different light than I do."

"Is there a relationship to see at all?" Tori asked.

She told herself that it didn't matter if there was; that it might even be easier if he did have a girlfriend of some sort.

"Not anymore," he continued, "We dated for a bit in our last year here, and she hasn't come out and said it, but she seems to think that we're meant to pick up where we left off."

"Not interested?"

"Not especially."

"Why?"

"Because she's not what I want."

Whether it was the drink making her bold, or a moment of brief insanity, she never knew.

"What _do_ you want?"

How in the bleeding hell was he supposed to answer a question like that? He had the sneaking suspicion that telling her that what he wanted it was sitting right in front of him would cause her to run away and never look back.

But how could he say otherwise? When he thought about his future, it always included a woman. Having grown up with two grandparents that had a marriage built on love and respect, Teddy had always imagined that, one day, he'd stumble upon someone who was right for him. Whoever she was, she'd have to be fun, intelligent, and willing to put up with the dirt he would drag into the house. If she happened to have wildly curly hair that begged to be touched and a strong, slim body that came from spending as much time outside as he did, it would certainly be a bonus.

He was utterly trapped. He must have had too much beer, because he was on the verge of saying exactly what he was thinking when the sound of laughter coming up the path behind him made him freeze in his tracks and come to his senses.

Tori must have noticed it at the same time, because her blue eyes grew in surprise and then nervousness. Teddy could relate. This setup, however innocent it was (and would need to remain, he reminded himself firmly) looked awfully strange to anyone from Hogwarts. Even the professors that knew about the arrangement of their after-hours lessons would probably have a few comments about professionalism once they saw the picnic and beer.

Teddy put a quick finger to his lips and cast a silent muffliato spell that Uncle Harry had taught him once. There was a high enough patch of grass at the edge of the field that, if they kept still, would probably keep them out of notice. He felt Tori tense beside him as Hogwarts robes came into view, and he thoughtlessly covered her hand with his. He didn't realize, until it was too late to move for fear of being seen, that his gesture would probably be more incriminating than otherwise.

As he watched, Teddy saw Danielle Edgecombe and Roger Gardner, two sixth years from Ravenclaw, come running down the trail. They were laughing, holding hands, and in varying states of undress. Danielle's shirt was open, exposing a bright blue bra. Almost directly across from the spot where they were hiding, Roger pulled Danielle to him for a long, deep kiss. Teddy watched, shaking with unshed laughter as Danielle popped the button on Roger's waistband and pulled him more quickly down the path. It was clear that the two had been down this path before and knew exactly where they were going. Clearly intent on their destination, the pair moved past the spot where Teddy and Tori sat, motionless, and disappeared around the next bend in the path.

When they were finally out of earshot, Teddy collapsed backward on the grass shaking with laughter.

Tori giggle as well, her face darkening considerably.

"Well that was uncomfortable," she intoned.

"_They_ seemed comfortable enough," he shot back.

"Well, that's because they didn't know they had a regular pair of voyeurs, did they?"

"Hey," Teddy said feigning defensiveness, "When you undress in public, you had better be ready for the consequences."

Tori laugh aloud at this. Perhaps it was the adrenaline surge that had accompanied their almost getting caught (or from the thoroughly insane question she had asked before they almost got caught), but she allowed herself a brief moment of hilarity as she threw her head back far enough to carry her down to the blanket. She rolled onto her stomach, and looked over at Teddy.

To her discomfort, he had stopped laughing abruptly, and was sitting back up and straightening himself. It wasn't until she looked around that she realized her roll onto her stomach had brought her precariously close to his side of the blanket. Embarrassed, she sat back up and reached for her beer. She had it halfway to her lips and then thought better of it. Clearly it made her insane. What the hell had she been thinking asking him a question like that? She had no business knowing what type of woman he wanted. If anything, _that_ particular question had crossed more of a line than anything that had happened between them so far. Thank Merlin, the Ravenclaws had come along and interrupted. It was definitely time to stop drinking.

Not knowing how to stem the unease she was feeling, she was grateful when Teddy returned the topic to Quidditch matches. She rooted through the picnic basket as she answered and came up with a bottle of water that she opted for. Hopefully she'd be able to keep her hormones in check for the rest of this adventure.

**Hopefully that was long enough! I know several of you have requested longer chapters, and I'm trying to deliver. Let me know what you think! Also, stay tuned, because there might be actual physical contact in the next chapter. Not to mention drama with the new Quidditch playing love interest!**


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